Resources for Reporters
If you are a reporter seeking information from the Minnesota Department of Health, the best place to start is with one of the department's information officers, listed below. They, like you, have certain "beats," and can get you the information you need or arrange an interview with a professional expert in the department.
Use the following alphabetized list of public health topics to connect with the information officer who can assist you. If you don't see a topic listed below, or you're still not sure whom to contact, please call the MDH Communications Office at 651-201-4989. Also see information officer assignments by division.
| Topic | Information Officer | Phone number |
| AIDS/STD prevention | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Air cleaners | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Air, indoor | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Asbestos | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Assistance paying for medical treatment | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Assisted living | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Audiologists | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Background checks (nursing homes) | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Beaches | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Bicycle helmets | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Bioterrorism | Buddy Ferguson | 651-201-4997 |
| Birth and death certificates and related data | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Breast/cervical cancer | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Breastfeeding | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Campgrounds (health issues relating to) | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Cancer control and surveillance | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Cancer - incidence/occurrence statistics | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Cancer - mortality statistics | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Carbon dioxide/monoxide | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Chemical exposure | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Chemical health | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Child health | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Children's camps | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Children with special health needs | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Clean indoor air | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Commissioner's Office | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Community health | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Contaminants, environmental | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Crab lice | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Crematoriums | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Cryptosporidium | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Death certificates and related data | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Dental health | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Diabetes | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Disease prevention and control | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Disparities in health status | Edie French | 651-201-4991 |
| Drinking water | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4997 |
| Education loan forgiveness programs | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Emergency preparedness | Buddy Ferguson | 651-201-4997 |
| Environmental health | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Epidemiology | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Facility and Provider Compliance | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Family health | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Family planning | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Fetal alcohol syndrome | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Fish, safety of eating | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Fleas, lice | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Flu and flu shots | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Food, beverage and lodging establishments | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Food poisoning | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Food safety | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Foreign travel immunizations | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Formaldehyde | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Funeral homes and morticians | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Genetic/hereditary disease | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Groundwater | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Hazardous waste | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Health care facilities complaints, licensing | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Health economics | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Health insurance consumer information | John Steiger | 651-201-4998 |
| Health occupations | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Health professional shortages | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Health statistics | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Hearing instrument dispensers | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| High blood pressure | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| HMO complaints | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Home health care complaints | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Home health care licensing | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Hospital complaints | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Immunizations/vaccinations | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Infant and child care | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Influenza | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Injury | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Laboratories, public health | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Lead | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Legislative initiatives | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Lice, fleas, ticks | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Lyme disease | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Mammograms | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Managed care | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Maternal and child health | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Measles, mumps | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Mental health practitioners, unlicensed | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Minority health | Edie French | 651-201-4991 |
| Mold/moisture | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Mortuary science | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Newborn screening | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Nursing assistant registry | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Nursing facilities | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Nutrition | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Occupational therapists | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Patient's Bill of Rights | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Plumbers/plumbing | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Public health emergencies | Buddy Ferguson | 651-201-4997 |
| Public health laboratory | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Rabies | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Radiation | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Radon | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Refugee health | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Risk communication | Buddy Ferguson | 651-201-4997 |
| Rural health | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| School cafeterias | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| School health | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Septic tanks/sewage | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Sexual violence | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Sexually transmitted diseases | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Speech language pathologists | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Smoking | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Swimming pools | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Tobacco use | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Travel immunizations | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Tuberculosis | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Uncompensated (charity) care | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Venereal diseases | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Violence | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Vision and hearing | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| Water safety | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Wellhead protection | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program | John Stieger | 651-201-4998 |
| X-ray machines | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
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